Role of University-Industry-Government Linkages in the Innovation Processes of a Small Catching-Up Economy

Varblane, Urmas; Mets, Tonis; Ukrainski, Kadri

Industry and Higher Education, v22 n6 p373-386 Dec 2008

During the transformation process from a command economy, the extraordinary statist university-industry-government (UIG) linkages model was replaced by an extreme version of laissez-faire relationships. A more modern interaction-based UIG model could be implemented only by changing the whole national innovation system of catching-up economies. The national innovation systems of countries with a command economy past share common problems that prevent them from developing the UIG linkages. The still-dominating linear innovation model should be replaced with the interactive and learning-based approach as these countries need to improve their levels of innovation diffusion management and networking. In addition, a symbiotic approach to the balance of high-tech and low-tech industries is needed. Managerial and organizational competence should be improved and treated at the same level of importance as technological competence. (Contains 3 tables and 2 figures.)